


Bad Ass

by Enx2103



Series: Best of Snap Shots [3]
Category: Life with Derek
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-11-25 16:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20914997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enx2103/pseuds/Enx2103
Summary: When you look at the before and after pictures of her when she was 13 years old compared to when she was 23, you wouldn't believe that it was the same girl. None of her features changed, they only matured. She just lost all the soft innocence that once laid on her porcelain skin.





	Bad Ass

**Bad Ass**

When you look at the before and after pictures of her when she was 13 years old compared to when she was 23, you wouldn't believe that it was the same girl. None of her features changed, they only matured. She just lost all the soft innocence that once laied on her porcelain skin. But besides that…it was all different.

From head to toe there was a change…more than the simple changes that came with growing up. These changes were drastic. She loved each and every one of them.

It started with her hair. When she turned 14, Nora allowed her to get purple streaks put into her dark hair.

At fifteen, when the color had long faded, she wanted a new color. But this time she wanted to color her whole head of hair. Adding a few streaks of color would not do. Nora refused, but she allowed Liz to pick a _normal_, natural color. So she chose red. A very ginger-looking red that she wore for a few months until she went dirty blonde…then pitch black, then a light brown. Then she had finally graduated high school and went away to college where she had absolute freedom to color her hair any color of the rainbow.

In the length of her first semester, she had gone through three colors; never liking one enough to keep it longer than a few weeks. Until she belched her hair platinum blonde and added a baby pink shade that made it all throughout Christmas and into the New Year. She really liked that one and she would return to it in the future. But in the meantime, just in time for spring (which was right around the corner), she needed to color her hair that perfect shade of teal she had seen in some magazine (that one was _his_ favorite. So she often came back to it as well).

Her hair color was not the only change throughout the years. Just one of the many few. Throughout the years she had cut off all her hair and went for a pixie cut. Then she let it grow out while having bangs for awhile (he thought the bangs made her look innocent and cute; a nice balance between the rest of her image). She shaved half her head off at some point. And then she had a failed attempt with the dread locks as well.No one was allowed to mention that particular look, ever.

Although by the end of college, her hair had thinned down so much (due to all the dyes and chemicals) that she finally decided to let her natural hair color grow out, and not touch it. She looked a bit crazy (but not more than usual) as her dark brown roots grew in against the rest of her fading lilac purple head of hair. But then again, she had other things she could change…

She got her first piercing at 16; her tongue. It only lasted a few weeks; it bored her after awhile. Then she got her belly button pierced. She enjoyed the idea of showing it off in her bikini in the summer by the lake…but once the fall came, that one came out as well. She got her eyebrow pierced somewhere in between the two; it lasted 2 months. Then she got her nose pierced; a small stud, that one she actually kept. And it didn't stop there. Her ears were full of jewelry. She had six piercing on one ear, and five on the other. Those never came out. She loved them too much (and he had brought most of those earrings for her).

She was also guilty of having a few tattoos. She didn't have anything crazy…yet. Just a scale on her right ankle to represent her zodiac sign of a Libra. She felt like it was a good representation of her being as she often did see both sides to every argument and weighed the pros and cons, kind of like Casey, but on a more normal scale, no pun intended. She then got another one across her ribs on the left side, right below her bra line; she had her grandmother's full name written out after she had passed when Lizzie was 19. Next to it was a small pink ribbon to represent breast cancer that had taken her grandmother. She got a yin and yang symbol just behind her right ear and a 'carpe diem' tattoo on the side of her index finger. Every tattoo was thought out and debated over thoroughly.

But don't let her appearance fool you. Although Lizzie's looks changed drastically throughout the years, and she seemed a bit, eccentric, she was still very much the same strong-willed person.

She got accepted into Queens (following in Casey's footsteps) with a soccer scholarship (following in Derek's footsteps). During the season, and sometimes even during the off-season, she could be found on the soccer field before the sun had even risen; the morning dew still covering the perfectly cut grass. She wore her hair up (well, you know depending on its current state) as she sported shorts and a sports bra as she ran drills and dripped up a sweat with her team, or sometimes even on her own. She was still very much determined as ever and that determination took her team to the championships her senior year. They won.

And during the off-season, she took a few trips with the Environmental Science department. She traveled all over South America with her close knit team; running tests on the water and helping the small communities nearby by setting up clean water supplies.

And then on the very rare occasion that she had _real off time_,she spent it with her boyfriend. She only had two serious guys during her college years. First was Zach; a shy guy who played the bass for a small band that played at the local bar she occasionally went to. He was quiet compared to the rest of the band, but he caught her attention; tall, nicely built, shaggy brown hair and sad golden brown eyes. He was clearly attractive, but that wasn't what did it for her.

Sometimes she'd stop by before her night class; sitting on the stage, swinging her legs as she asked him about his day. He'd sit with her and tell her about a new song he came up with and how the band's been doing really good. He always hoped that they would get signed. Soon, he'd tell her. Although she would return the smile and support him, she knew the band would never get out of the bar (and it killed her because he deserved to have his dreams fulfilled). He was the only guy she bothered with during her sophomore year. Until Lucas came around...

Lucas was of average height with a slim built. He had a gorgeous head of dirty blonde hair and dangerous green eyes that were usually hidden behind his thick-framed glasses. He was the kind of guy who would sit in the coffee shop, nursing a black coffee with a pile of books by his side. And when he wasn't reading, he was writing. And if he wasn't doing either, he was performing at the poetry club. Lizzie sat with him sometimes. She could discuss social and political issues with Lucas, which she couldn't do with Zach.

You see, Zach…he only knew about his music, the rest of the world didn't matter to him. That was something she really missed when she was with Lucas. But she quickly realized that Lucas was just another pretentious jackass. At the end of the day she preferred Zach's innocence when it came to the world around him. He made her forget about all the stress around the world. He'd even held her hand when she went to get a new tattoo or piercing (even though she really didn't need him to). Zach was safe...but he wasn't _it_.

So by senior year she was alone…but not truly.

Edwin was still very much in the picture…in a very different way than the rest of her family. He didn't end up at Queens; he didn't want to follow Derek's footsteps. He went to the University of Toronto. It was a bit far from Queens, but every so often he'd go visit Liz for a weekend or vise versa.

Visiting her was always exciting. He never knew what he'd find. What color her hair would be. What look she was going for. If she had any new piercings or tattoos. A new soccer trophy, a protest she had taken part it (she was a very strong activist too) or the stories from her last trip to South America. There was _always_ something.

But after those stories were told and she had exhausted herself completely they would just lay in bed together in the most innocent of ways. She'd curl up into his chest, eyes drooping as she listened to his heartbeat. He'd hold her close and drift away as well. With them, it was always simple and innocent.

Edwin met Zach once. He too felt the sympathetic aura Lizzie often described. He never met Lucas though. To be honest, he _never_ wanted to. But he was glad that Lizzie knew that neither of them were the right fit for her...but even through all of that, nothing ever happened between them while they were in college.

After graduation, they drifted a part a bit, which pained them both (not like they had much of a choice. Lizzie was traveling all over the place; running tests and experiments with her team. He, on the other hand, was stuck in his cubical, crunching numbers daily. He was part of the financial team for an advertising agency in Toronto. Sure there was the occasional email, but their friendship was truly missed.

Then she came back. But she refused to tell anyone about it. She had to surprise him first (he had become a priority to her). So she hopped onto her black motorcycle, pulled her helmet on and drove towards his office the second she was settled down into her new apartment.

She _loved_ going fast. The thrill of being on the bike still resonated in every fiber of her body. Granted, it was her brand new bike, so the thrill was completely different. It just felt right; in her leather jacket and biker boots, weaving in and out of traffic, knowing exactly how to get to him… Her heart didn't need the extra adrenaline that was induced by the thoughts of him.

It had been a year since they had seen each other. She headed off with a team a week after graduation. She was itching to be back in his presence.

It was weird though. Back when she was in college she didn't miss him that much. Granted they were only a few hours away from each other and they saw each other every 2-3 weeks. The distance between them didn't bother her then. But after a month in Mexico…she was feeling it pretty bad (making the year unbearable).

She pulled up to his office building and laughed; it kind of screamed Edwin in a strange way. She parked in front of the entrance before pulling her phone out quickly.

"Come downstairs." She told him before he got in a proper hello.

Her stomach was an explosion of butterflies as she waited for him, playing with her keys that hung from her bike's ignition. Would he look the same? Did he miss her too? She knew it would all be different this time...

* * *

**EPOV**

He was relieved after hearing her voice for that split second. He didn't need to be told anything else. She was there and that's all he needed. He was downstairs in a matter of seconds; excited to finally lay his eyes on her again. She surprised him so often that it was almost predictable that she would do this…but it didn't mean he wasn't nervous.

He rolled his eyes playfully as he walked towards her. She hadn't even taken her helmet off yet, but he knew it was her. She wouldn't be one of the people inside the many taxis parked outside. She was always the odd one out. Plus, he knew she loved to ride. He just didn't know she had a bike (there was always something new with her). Not like he minded.

"When'd you get this?" He asked when he reached her side. He kept his hands in his pockets as he exhibited a calm exterior, like it was no big deal that she was back.

The contrast between them was extraordinary. He stood a few inches away from her bike, in his suit that had become like a second skin to him while she sat there on a bike, covered in leather, piercings and tattoos. It was safe to say that Casey did not approve (not like she had any say in Lizzie's choices, but she still voiced her opinions on the matter every chance she could).

He was a suit, and she was...the definition of badass. A rebel _with_ a cause. She was perfect.

He watched her pull her helmet off, her hair a completely wild mess under it. She looked beautiful. She was _always_ beautiful.

She looked down at her new shiny bike for a moment, running her fingertips over the smooth metal in admiration. "The second I got back." She shrugged, not bothering to explain that it was only hours ago. "You like?" She asked, looking up at him with bright eyes. She looked hopeful.

He knew she was use to getting funny looks and having people judge her. People thought she wasn't serious about anything simply because of her ever-changing appearance but he never judged her. He was always there, no matter what. He always believed in her and supported every one of her crazy ideas. She was his best friend, his partner in crime. And although he never said it, he wanted to believe she was his other half as well...

He smiled down at her because there she was, that gorgeous, crazy woman he had loved over the years, sitting on a motorcycle, back in town. His town. "I like," he nodded. He always liked.

A grin graced her lips. With that he felt complete again.His hand reached out towards her, fingering her dark shoulder length locks instantly. She was back to her natural hair color again. "I miss the blue," he told her in a whisper.

"Teal," she corrected with a teasing tone. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

He rolled his eyes in response. "I missed you." He tried again. Hoping she wouldn't correct him that time.

She froze for a moment, which scared him. But seconds later she was pulling on his tie, and he was falling into her. She pulled him down closer to her before pressing her lips against his.

He smiled against her mouth. He didn't care about anything in that moment. Nothing mattered except her. He steadied himself quickly; one hand finding the back of her seat, the other on her wasit to keep her close.

She pulled back a bit, just enough to looked at him. He saw his reflection in her eyes; one thing she never tampered with. Something he was grateful for. He wouldn't want her eyes to be any other color. They were the perfect shade of blue, so much that it was indescribable.

"I can dye it again," she offered. Although she was talking about her hair, he knew she was offering him so much more.

"Nah," he shook his head. "You're already perfect." He assured her before dipping back down to her lips again.

"Ed," she whispered when his lips found themselves against her ear.

It pulled him back to reality…to the fact that they were in front of his office building…in public. And then it hit him like a pile of bricks. He dropped his hands away from her body and took a step back, a distraught look played across his features.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked quickly, unsure of what she had done wrong. Panic was taking over.

"Liz," he whispered with a sigh. "What are we doing?" He asked gently. He needed her to know that he wasn't rejecting her. He could never do that to her. He just didn't believe what was happening after so many years.

She stared at him for a second. "Ed I....I've had you within arms reach for years. I want you closer now." she trailed off. She hopped off the bike swiftly before standing in front of him, toe to toe. "I know what I want Ed. Do you?" She dared to ask him.

"Liz," he groaned, his hands finding themselves tangled in her long locks. He knew what he wanted. He had always known.

They were the oddest pair…sometimes even stranger than Derek and Casey. But it _worked_.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by: 'She Moves In Her Own Way' by the Kooks. The whole song really describes the vibe I was going for with this badass Lizzie. Also, when Lizzie visits the bar that Zach plays at and asks about his day, that's straight from the song.  
And Bowling for Soup- Girl all the bad guys want for Edwin's part.
> 
> PS. Upon further inspection, Jorden Todosey who played Lizzie is also kind of a badass now.


End file.
